MWC 2009: LG overview

LG GM730

The LG GM730 is the other handset that LG are trying to get due attention on. The S class UI on top of the Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional OS is one of its key features.

It's really nice of LG to have made the effort to mask as much of the Windows interface as possible. There are five homescreens, each responsible for controlling a different part of the UI - contacts, image gallery, etc. The native start menu is still present but LG promise to have that covered too before the release.

LG GM730

We just hope the UI speed will meanwhile be also fixed as the S class UI didn't perform nearly as fast as on the KM900 Arena. Having in mind however that the GM730 is said to have a dedicated graphics accelerator we don't see a reason why that shouln't change.

The LG GM730 looks pretty nice in reality and handles very well. The 3" touchscreen device fits pretty well in most hands and the nicely thumbable interface provide for pretty decent single-handed use.

LG KT770

Our next tour stop was the LG KT770. The device is the first to sport a widescreen display and run on the Symbian 3rd edition. The handset packs a rather extensive specs sheet and slick looks.

A rather extraordinary feature of the LG KT770 is the joystick. And it's not just because it is the only device in quite a while to sport a joystick, but also its sensitivity. We have never seen a more responsive piece, the slightest touch enough to carry the command through.

LG KT770

LG have also done a pretty good job of customizing the UI of the KT770. There is now a contacts bar added under the row of shortcuts on the homescreen to allow quick dialing of a limited number of your contacts. The menu icons have also been redesigned and are now much more visually appealing.

The only downside of LG KT770 that we noticed at this stage is that its shiny surface gets easily covered in smudges, making the front panel of the phone a greasy mess in no time.

LG KC910i Renoir

The start of the World Mobile Congress brought a new version of this old acquaintance of ours. The LG KC910i Renoir is not too functionally different from the original Renoir, which we reviewed not too long ago. The only major difference is that the KC910i comes with Push Email through Wi-Fi support, which the original Renoir lacked.

The LG KC910i Renoir comes in black and with a redesigned back panel. We have to admit that it looks a whole lot better than the original Renoir. The interface of the camera has also been redone to improve usability. That is quite a relief since we weren't really the greatest fans of the old Renoir camera interface.

LG KC910i Renoir

However the changes basically end here and the functionality of the handset remains unchanged. The KC910i Renoir is said to feature an automatic lens cover, unlike the original version which had a manually operated mechanism. Unfortunately this automatic cover wasn't working properly on any of the units we tried.